NY psychiatrist accused of Medicaid theft

A Brooklyn psychiatrist has been arrested on charges he bilked the state’s Medicaid program out of $230,000 in services he did not provide.

A spokeswoman for state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman says Dr. Jean Elie, of Elmont, was arraigned on grand larceny charges on Thursday and released without bail.

Prosecutors say the 59-year-old psychiatrist billed for therapy sessions that routinely lasted less than 10 minutes, instead of the 45 minutes that he claimed.

They say the doctor also wrote out over $1 million in prescriptions for the much-abused psychiatric drug Seroquel to a “revolving door of clients.” The drug is often abused and sold on the streets among addicts.

Elie faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted. His lawyer didn’t immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment.